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SCMP Reporter

Smoke-prevention doors left wide open, say residents
Some fire-protection equipment in the 15-storey Mong Kok building where four people were killed by a fire on Sunday did not work, a government source said yesterday.
This emerged as residents complained that some fire  doors on the upper floors of Cornwall Court in Nathan Road had been left wide open.
The Fire Services Department said the mezzanine-floor karaoke nightclub where the fire started also had no fire  doors.
The government source said preliminary investigation revealed 'that there was some malfunction' in some of the fire equipment in the 46-year-old  building. But the source refused to say what equipment failed  or whether the fire could have been contained if it had worked.
The required fire-safety equipment  includes an alarm system, fire hose reels and fire extinguishers.
'As the karaoke nightclub was badly damaged in the blaze, we are checking whether it had installed fire-protection equipment,' the source said.
Charles Leung, who rented a room in a seventh-floor guest house, said he did not see any fire equipment  on the floor.
A couple, surnamed Tsang, who have lived on the eight floor since 2002, said they found the fire  doors on their floor open and smoke filling the corridor.
Mrs Tsang, 59, said her husband tried to close the door, but  it was fastened to the wall with ropes. They retreated to their bedroom after cutting the ropes and closing the door.
The couple, who waved a red cloth from the window, were rescued by firemen two hours later.
Two firefighters - senior fireman Siu Wing-fong  and fireman Chan Siu-lung  - and two women were killed and 55 people were injured in  the blaze.
Police said a charred body found inside the nightclub was identified as a 39-year-old woman, surnamed Man, who was one of the  staff.
Among the injured, five people - three males and two females - remained in either stable or satisfactory  condition in four hospitals yesterday. The others had been discharged.
The Fire Services Department said it was checking when it last inspected the building and whether  any violations of fire regulations had been found.
But one resident Leung Chuen-hak, 67, said the building was renovated last year and its fire facilities passed an inspection in May.
Detectives from the Kowloon West  regional crime unit are investigating the blaze. Senior Superintendent Leung Ka-ming  said initial investigation showed no sign of arson.
Mr Leung said police would compile a comprehensive report for the coroner.
The Buildings Department said the building was structurally safe.
'A repair order will be issued requesting the owner of the mezzanine-floor unit to appoint an authorised person to do inspection and repair,' a department spokeswoman said.
The building remained closed yesterday as officers from various   departments  continued their investigations.



Mong Kok building's fire equipment 'failed'